The Gods of Rock 'n' Roll

Curiosity Piqued: Phillip

Chapter Three

"Just what sort of game are you playing, Salvador Kinney? Your Irish-Italian ass annoys me. I thought I made it abundantly clear to you that I'm not interested in a professional relationship with you, and you certainly aren't winning me over with your charming personality, so just what the hell are you after?"

Sal smiled at him slyly. "So, it is you. Nice outfit you chose. You're here, aren't you? I've already won. You don't want to work with me, fine. But I have a message for you and only you. There was no way I was going to speak to those clowns."

Phillip did not enjoy Sal's manipulation, but his curiosity had been piqued.

"I'm all ears now. Just what do you feel you have to tell me?"

Sal stepped away from him and reclined on one of the beds suggestively. "Oh, poo. I was hoping you'd try to seduce it out of me. I've heard about the legendary Phillip Payne and his powers of persuasion." He waggled his eyebrows at Phillip, who rolled his eyes.

"Speak, kid. You're boring me."

Sal pouted. "You're no fun. I have it on good authority that there's a threat to your domain. I figured you would want to know."

Phillip crossed his arms over his chest. "A threat. Interesting. And why should I be concerned?"

Sal's eyes suddenly turned completely black. A chill descended on the room and the boy's smile fell. When he spoke, his voice took on almost a comical tone, like something out of a bad horror flick.

"You've held onto this territory for a long time, Phillip Payne. You're coming to your own crossroads. Something is coming that could mean the end for you. Will you fight? Will you try to hold on to all you have built? Or will you choose a different path?"

"Who sent you?" Phillip asked through clenched teeth. He tried to keep a lid on his anger. He usually didn't mind being challenged because he knew he had what it took to come out on top. But something about the words unsettled him.

"An old acquaintance. She'd like to see you make a choice that benefits her, of course, but the change is coming regardless."

Phillip was never a fan of posturing and threats, but his body moved forward on its own until he was leaning down in Sal's face.

"I will not be threatened by a child."

Suddenly Sal's eyes turned back to their regular deep blue and he shuddered. "What? I'm not trying to threaten you! Jesus! Back off a bit, would ya?"

Intrigued by this turn of events, Phillip lowered himself to sit on the edge of the bed. "What was all that? The eyes? The voice? What have you been playing at, Sally?"

Sal pushed himself back against the headboard and ran his hands through his wild hair. "I-I don't know. I mean, I'm not sure. It just happens sometimes. I just know stuff. Like somehow, I knew I was supposed to come here, to Neither Here Nor There, and tell you I had a message. I don't even know what that means," he said with a nervous laugh. He reached for his pack of cigarettes on the bedside table and looked incredibly vulnerable as he lit a cancer stick with shaking hands.

Pity, Phillip thought. His voice wouldn't hold up for long if he continued partaking of this particular vice.

"You even knew the name of the club? Who sent you?"

Sal took a long drag and blew it out away from Phillip's direction. "I'm not really sure. There was a woman with, I don't know, green... I remember green. She tried to... yeah. Well, she was very angry with you. That much I remember. Who is she?"

Phillip wished that Sal hadn't mentioned the green. That could only mean one thing.

"How is this possible?"

Zendaya. A lover from eons ago. A being Phillip once thought he'd give up his world for, until he learned the truth about her exploits. She did not like being rejected by a mortal. When he refused her, she stabbed him in the back, literally, and was banished to another realm for her crimes. It seemed she'd found a way back and was determined to ruin Phillip's life once again.

"She scares me," Sal said in a low voice. "She wants...things. She promises things."

"She'll end you, Sal. Whatever she wants with you, you need to say no. She's not supposed to be able to take without your permission, but she can certainly persuade you. She's also been known to break the rules. It seems, my friend, that you have landed yourself a place in my organization whether you want it or not at this point."

"Really?" he asked excitedly. "You mean you'll sign me? Oh, Mr. Payne—"

"Oh, now it's Mr. Payne? And don't get ahead of yourself. You have a place in my organization for protection. Just until I deal with Zendaya."

"And that woman down the hall. I saw her, too."

Phillip raised an eyebrow. The plot thickens. "Just what are you?"

Sal's pouty lips smirked a bit, but Phillip was in no mood for his attempts at being coy. Phillip stood from the bed and crossed his bulky arms at his chest. Sal got the hint.

"Back home they called me a Seer or a Medium. I see things. People talk to me. Well, I use the term people loosely. Beings, is more like it. Some dead, some other. The Green Lady definitely fit into the other category. Oh, she mentioned something about Harvest Moon. Yeah. That's when it happens."

"What happens?"

Sal's expression went blank. "I guess we're about to find out."